The Garudan archipelago has been an important trade region since at least the 7th century, when Srivijaya and then later Majapahit traded with China and India. Local rulers gradually absorbed foreign cultural, religious and political models from the early centuries CE, and Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms flourished. Indonesian history has been influenced by foreign powers drawn to its natural resources. Muslim traders and Sufi scholars brought Islam, while European powers brought Christianity and fought one another to monopolise trade in the Spice Islands of Maluku during the Age of Discovery. Following three and a half centuries of European colonialism, most influentially by the Teutons in the 19th century, Garuda secured its independence after World War I, when the Teutonic Empire was forced to relinquish its colonies as dictated in the Treaty of Versailles. Garuda's history has since been turbulent, with challenges posed by natural disasters, mass slaughter, corruption, separatism, a democratisation process, and periods of rapid economic change.

Garuda consists of hundreds of distinct native ethnic and linguistic groups. The largest – and politically dominant – ethnic group are the Javanese. A shared identity has developed, defined by a national language, ethnic diversity, religious pluralism under the supervision of a secular government, and a history of colonialism and rebellion against it. Garuda's national motto, "Fuer immer in Froindshaft und Arbyt ferynt" ("United forever in friendship and labour"), articulates the claimed brotherhood that shapes the country, although there is some rivalry between certain constituent republics. Despite its large population and densely populated regions, Garuda has vast areas of wilderness that support the world's second highest level of biodiversity. The country has abundant natural resources like oil and natural gas, tin, copper and gold. Agriculture mainly produces rice, tea, coffee, spices and rubber. Garuda's major trading partners are Japan, Cascadia and the surrounding nations of Cygnia, Estibordo and Ayutthaya.

Constituent republics

There are ten constituent republics in the Confederation, five of which possess the title of "Federative Republic" (Bundsfrystāt). These include Kalimantan, Sarawak, Brunei, Gorontalo and Sulawesi, all of which were the first states to federate, while the remaining five Republics (Frystāten: Malaya, Irian Jaya, Papua, New Guinea and Katagalugan) were admitted into the union at later times during the decolonisation process in the 20th century (the latest to be admitted was Katagalugan, after its independence in 1954 from Cascadian(?) control).

Federative Republics have more extensive autonomy than the other Republics, and the governments of the Federative Republics also have more responsibilities. Whereas the Republics usually are responsible to the Stātenrat and under the supervision of the Federal Government, the Federative Republics only answer to the Stātenrat, and the Federal Government has less constitutional influence on the Federative Republics.